by Patrick Stevens, Special to USA TODAY Sports

Talk about a stacked bracket. Louisville is the top overall seed. Duke finished with the top RPI. Michigan State is perpetually ready for a deep run. Saint Louis is seasoned. Oklahoma State has a dynamite point guard in Marcus Smart. Memphis has 30 wins. Creighton has a first team All-America candidate in Doug McDermott.

It has the making of being a great weekend in Indianapolis at the end of the month, even if there is some carnage in the opening weekend. Speaking of which, here's how things start off in the Midwest:

North Carolina A&T vs. Liberty: Both teams are a combined 0-11 all-time in the NCAA tournament and two of the most unlikely teams in the field. A&T was a No. 7 seed in the MEAC tournament, while Liberty is the only team in the field with a losing record. Both are feel-good stories to start off March with. You should pick: Liberty.

No. 1 Louisville vs. No. 16 Play-in winner: That said, whoever wins that game is cannon fodder for Louisville in the round of 64. Don't expect the Cardinals to have much difficulty advancing. You should pick: Louisville.

No. 8 No. Colorado State vs. No. 9 Missouri: Colorado State is a ferocious rebounding team. Missouri, with a 39.6 offensive rebounding percentage, isn't so bad itself. This could be one of the most physical games of the tournament. You should pick: Missouri.

No. 5 Oklahoma State vs. No. 12 Oregon: The Ducks, the Pac-12 tournament champion, were heinously under-seeded as a No. 12. Oregon will have to deal with Marcus Smart and Oklahoma State, and even a Left Coast site does them only so much good with this matchup. You should pick: Oklahoma State

No. 4 Saint Louis vs. No. 13 New Mexico State: Put Saint Louis anywhere, and its brand of smart, tenacious play is going to create problems. New Mexico State would have been an interesting upset possibility against a more haphazard team - and the Billikens certainly don't qualify as that. You should pick: Saint Louis

No. 11 Middle Tennessee vs. No. 11 Saint Mary's: The play-in game between Middle Tennessee and Saint Mary's features a pair of teams who haven't accomplished a whole lot but could still prove bothersome. Middle Tennessee's inclusion based on road wins (per selection chairman Mike Bobinski) is laughable; the Blue Raiders bludgeoned a bunch of bad Sun Belt teams. Just say Middle played a decent schedule outside the league and none of the alternatives distinguished themselves and just move on. That's a perfectly valid argument, and much more justifiable. You should pick: Middle Tennessee

Memphis vs. Play-in Winner: Memphis awaits the play-in winner, and the Tigers should have an imaginary DO NOT TRUST sign hovering over them. Memphis beat one team in the field (Harvard) and nearly lost in the Conference USA final. This is a potential upset situation, especially if Middle Tennessee's veteran and deep rotation gets a shot. You should pick: Memphis.

Michigan State vs. Valparaiso: The Spartans drew the Bryce Drew-coached Crusaders, making for a solid Midwestern matchup. MSU could have a little trouble, but shouldn't be badgered too much by the Horizon League champs. You should pick: Michigan State.

Cincinnati vs. Creighton: The Bluejays trended downward late in the season before a decent recovery in the closing week. The Bearcats have the backcourt to make things tough on Creighton, but McDermott should shine just as much on a big stage as he did in the Valley all season. You should pick: Creighton

No. 2 Duke vs. No. 15 Albany: Duke vs. America fell to a No. 2 seed and got the unexpected winner of the America East, Albany. Unlike last year, the Blue Devils should avoid the 2-15 upset and move along to the weekend. You should pick: Duke.

SOUTH REGIONAL

There's no shortage of coaches who have reached the Final Four in this regional.

Of the top 11 seeds, only one (No. 4 Michigan) doesn't have a coach with Final Four experience. And even John Beilein has been to the doorstep, taking West Virginia to the Elite Eight in 2005.

So which coaching veteran gets it done? If the jump shots are falling, it's tough to bet against Florida. The top seed, Big 12 champion Kansas, figures to be an immensely tough out after getting over its midseason hiccup.

The Jayhawks are where the breakdown of the South's round of 64 games begins:

No. 1 Kansas vs. No. 16 Western Kentucky: Kansas drew Western Kentucky, the surprise Sun Belt winner after taking a forgettable 15-15 record into the conference tournament. The Hilltoppers won four straight, but it won't become five. Fortunately, mascot Big Red is anything but forgettable; the tournament is better with him in it, even for a day. You should pick: Kansas

No. 8 North Carolina vs. No. 9 Villanova: That selection committee sure has a sense of humor, funneling North Carolina into the Jayhawks' subregional. The Tar Heels aren't terribly accomplished, but they got a decent matchup against a Villanova team that seems just a tad overseeded. Look for Roy Williams to face his old school next weekend. You should pick: North Carolina

No. 5 VCU vs. No. 12 Akron: Shaka Smart worked as an assistant to Akron's Keith Dambrot early in his career. Now, Smart and Virginia Commonwealth face the Zips in a dreaded 5-12 game. You should pick: VCU

No. 4 Michigan vs. No. 13 South Dakota State: Michigan was great at home, and playing in Auburn Hills makes it a de facto home weekend for the Wolverines. But South Dakota State and Nate Wolters are going to be a chic pick for an upset in what sets up as one of the round of 64's most fascinating games. You should pick: Michigan.

No. 6 UCLA vs. No. 11 Minnesota: UCLA was part of the Pac-12 contingent that wound up with a lower-than-anticipated seed. Some of it in the Bruins' case might be due to the broken foot of second-leading scorer Jordan Adams. UCLA gets Minnesota, which was utterly underwhelming in the final two months of the season. Expect the Bruins to scoot along. You should pick: UCLA

No. 3 Florida vs. No 14 Northwestern State: Florida-Stephen F. Austin would have been a 45-33 defense-lover's delight. Instead, the Gators get the team that knocked off Stephen F. Austin in the Southland final. That would be Northwestern State, which has had a fine season but isn't quite as nifty an upset possibility as it was in 2006 when it floored Iowa in another 3/14 game. You should pick: Florida

No. 7 San Diego State vs. No. 10 Oklahoma: San Diego State-Oklahoma isn't the dullest 8/9 or 7/10 game, but there isn't a whole lot of juice in this matchup. Frankly, it's a tossup, which could enable this to be one of the more enjoyable games of the opening few days of the tournament. You should pick: San Diego State

No. 2 Georgetown vs. No. 15 Florida Gulf Coast: So, does Georgetown finally snap a four-appearance streak of losing to double-digit seeds? The Hoyas should be able to grind down Florida Gulf Coast, though it probably won't make for the most pleasant viewing experience. You should pick: Georgetown

EAST REGIONAL

Indiana's Big Ten semifinal loss to Wisconsin knocked it out of the Midwest regional and a chance to play close to home for the first two weekends.

Instead, the Hoosiers will be in the East, and star Victor Oladipo will have a shot at a homecoming during the regional round in Washington, D.C.

Oladipo isn't the only high-profile figure in this bracket who is familiar to fans around the District. ACC champion Miami is coached by Jim Larranaga, who took George Mason to the Final Four in 2006 by winning a regional at Verizon Center.

Yes, this regional will also be played at Verizon Center. But before that stage arrives, there is plenty to scour in the round of 64.

Long Island vs. James Madison: Long Island is making its third straight NCAA appearance, while James Madison hasn't reached the tournament in nearly 20 years. This might turn out to be the most enjoyable of the four midweek games. You should pick: James Madison

No. 1 Indiana vs. No. 16 play-in winner: Whoever wins it gets to remain in Dayton a couple extra days, but no more. Indiana is certain to bulldoze whatever 16 seed it happens to encounter. You should pick: Indiana.

No. 8 North Carolina State vs. No. 9 Temple: N.C. State did all right last year when shipped to Ohio for the opening weekend. This will be more difficult, and not just because of a possible showdown with Indiana. Instead, the Wolfpack has a testy Temple team to contend with. The Owls' Khalif Wyatt is one of the best scorers in the tournament. You should pick: N.C. State

No. 5 UNLV vs. No. 12 California: UNLV and California played already this season, a 76-75 Rebels victory in Berkeley in December. They'll play again in the Bay Area, meeting in San Jose in a 5/12 game. That's a tough break for UNLV. Both the repeat and site were notable failures on the part of the committee. Try harder next time, guys. You should pick: UNLV

No. 4 Syracuse vs. No. 13 Montana: So is Syracuse really back to its early-season self? The Orange will find out against a slightly overseeded Montana bunch that is nonetheless a tournament regular out of the Big Sky. You should pick: Syracuse

No. 6 Butler vs. No. 11 Bucknell: Bucknell was going to be an upset possibility regardless of who it drew. The Bison and star center Mike Muscala will face Butler, a team that knows a thing or two about surprise runs. As good as Butler is, this isn't a bad matchup for Bucknell. You should pick: Bucknell

No. 3 Marquette vs. No. 14 Davidson: Marquette-Davidson would have been a perfectly decent 4/13 game. Instead it is a 3/14 game, and every bit the upset possibility it would have been if the teams were seeded differently. The tough Golden Eagles won't have a fun time in this one. You should pick: Marquette

No. 7 Illinois vs. No. 10 Colorado: Both Illinois and Colorado have had commendable seasons, but sometimes when two power conference schools collide it doesn't generate a lot of interest. That's probably going to be the case here. You should pick: Colorado

No. 2 Miami (Fla.) vs. No. 15 Pacific: Miami got shipped to Texas, a byproduct of the dearth of sites on the East Coast and in the South. The Hurricanes should send outgoing Pacific coach Bob Thomason into retirement with a relatively smooth opening victory. You should pick: Miami

WEST REGIONAL

Whereas there were tons of coaches in the South with extended NCAA tournament histories, the West offers only two --- Ohio State's Thad Matta and Kansas State's Bruce Weber --- who have made it to the Final Four.

Without juicy coaching subplots, everyone will have to settle for the buzz of Gonzaga earning the first No. 1 seed in school history.

Or New Mexico becoming only the ninth top-five RPI team in the last 20 years not to get a No. 1 or No. 2 seed.

Or figuring out how Arizona fell all the way to a No. 6 seed.

Or concentrate on how Mississippi's Marshall Henderson will make everyone's tournament a little more exciting just because of his mere presence.

That and more can be crammed into the round of 64 rundown:

No. 1 Gonzaga vs. No. 16 Southern: Good for Gonzaga, which got a No. 1 seed but more importantly gets the relatively favorable Salt Lake City-Los Angeles path to the Final Four. The Bulldogs will have no trouble against Southern to open the tournament. You should pick: Gonzaga

No. 8 Pittsburgh vs. No. 9 Wichita State: Pittsburgh and Wichita State might just be a coinflip. It won't get much buzz, but should be a tight game nonetheless. You should pick: Wichita State

No. 13 Boise State vs. No. 13 La Salle: The Explorers haven't been to the tournament since 1992. Boise State did enough down the stretch to get in. Look out for La Salle's backcourt, which could make life miserable for some high-major teams if it happens to advance. You should pick: La Salle

No. 4 Kansas State vs. No. 13 play-in winner: The play-in winner gets Kansas State, which will remain relatively close to home in Kansas City for the first weekend of the tournament. The Wildcats didn't lose to anybody outside the top 50 this season; both Boise State and La Salle are in the top 50. That could be a vulnerable No. 4 seed. You should pick: La Salle

No. 5 Wisconsin vs. No. 12 Ole Miss: It takes discipline to thrive against Wisconsin. Ole Miss star Marshall Henderson is all about being a chaotic element. That's going to make for a fun matchup in Kansas City. You should pick: Wisconsin.

No. 6 Arizona vs. No. 11 Belmont: The selection committee did not look fondly upon the Pac-12. No team got the shaft quite like Oregon, but Arizona should be better than a No. 6 seed. The Wildcats didn't get an easy draw with Belmont in the round of 64. Nonetheless, Sean Miller's team should advance out of a difficult opener. You should pick: Arizona

No. 3 New Mexico vs. No. 14 Harvard: New Mexico was underseeded by a line, a reality the Lobos will surely prove against Ivy League champ Harvard. That could be quite lopsided, especially with New Mexico likely fired up over a perceived (and somewhat real) snub in seeding. You should pick: New Mexico

No. 7 Notre Dame vs. No. 10 Iowa State: Notre Dame and Iowa State meet for the right to lose by 15 to Ohio State, but at least they'll probably combined to play a fun game. The Cyclones have no problems pushing the pace when the opportunity allows; it'll be curious to see if Notre Dame provides those opportunities. You should pick: Iowa State

No. 2 Ohio State vs. No. 15 Iona: Iona is not a cautious team in the slightest. It will score points, and it will allow points, which means Ohio State could be in for a fine offensive day as it faces the champion from the Metro Atlantic in the round of 64 for the second straight season. You should pick: Ohio State